How Many Days In Yosemite? Itinerary Recommendations With Timestamps
How many days in Yosemite is probably one of the first questions you have when planning your trip. It was for me. Yosemite is massive, and it can take hours to drive between different areas of the park, so having an itinerary outlined for your trip is essential before you can begin booking flights or hotels.
Personally, I think 4 days in Yosemite is the perfect amount of time to see all the highlights and hike some of the iconic trails. A full week would allow you to explore the park more deeply. But, if you’re short on time I also have suggestions for shorter trips, as well.
In this blog post I’m sharing:
- How many days to spend in Yosemite + recommended itineraries
- A park overview, including best hikes and sights in each area
- Recommendations for where to stay
This post answers how many days in Yosemite, as well as recommended itineraries (with timestamps).
If you’re looking for more information about Yosemite, including the best time to visit, how to get around, and tips for crowds check out my Travel Guide & Itinerary For Yosemite.
How Many Days In Yosemite?
Wondering how many days in Yosemite is the right amount for your trip? Personally, I think 4 days in Yosemite is best, especially if you’re also planning a road trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon while you’re in the area.
Yosemite National Park is so massive that it’s divided into different areas within the park. It can take a few hours to drive between these areas, and it’s also very remote (with only 2 gas stations!)
Below are my recommendations for what to see and do depending on how many days you have in Yosemite National Park.
Yosemite In One Day – Yosemite Valley
With just one day in Yosemite I recommend focusing on the highlights in Yosemite Valley.
- Tunnel View
- Bridalveil Falls
- Yosemite Village
- Yosemite Falls
- Cook’s Meadow
- Vernal Fall
- Mirror Lake
- The Ahwahnee
- Alt Option: Half Dome (permit required)
As you drive in to Yosemite Valley the first stop you’ll come to is Tunnel View. There’s a decent sized parking lot on either side of the road, and you can walk to the overlook and see down into the valley – it’s one of the most iconic views in the entire park!
As you continue towards Yosemite Village, you’ll pass Bridalveil Falls. This is a short hike (0.8 miles, paved and relatively flat) to the base of the falls.
Follow the main road into Yosemite Village. There is plenty of parking here, and I recommend you park and take the shuttle for the rest of the day because parking within Yosemite Valley can be exceptionally challenging.
In Yosemite Village you’ll find the visitors center, a few restaurants and shops, and Yosemite Museum.
I always recommend stopping into the visitors center and speaking with the ranger on duty. They’re super helpful at recommending the best hikes for your interests and abilities, and can give you the latest information on trail closures and wildlife activity.
From Yosemite Village there are several things within walking distance. I recommend checking out Yosemite Falls and Cook’s Meadow. Both are easy, mostly flat and paved walks through the valley.
Next, hop on the Yosemite Shuttle and head towards Stop #16: Happy Isles. This is the trailhead for Mist Trail which leads to Vernal Fall. The trail is 3.1 miles with more than 1,100 feet of elevation gain.
The trail takes you right up to Vernal Fall. If you walk just a bit farther past the falls you’ll see Emerald Pool, which is a great place to have a rest.
Mirror Lake is another great hiking trail in Yosemite Valley. It’s a 4.4 mile loop trail that follows the river right underneath Half Dome.
I also highly recommend having a meal at The Ahwahnee Dining Room. You don’t need to be a guest to eat here, but you do need a reservation. The Dining Room has massive 34-foot floor to ceiling windows overlooking the valley and granite cliffs.
Half Dome is another option for your time in Yosemite Valley. This is a hard hike that requires a permit. Permits are given out through a lottery system. You’ll want to plan a full day to hike the 16.5 miles to Half Dome and back.
Yosemite In Two Days – Glacier Point
With two days in Yosemite National Park you can also explore the Glacier Point area, which has some fantastic longer hikes.
- Sentinel Dome
- Taft Point
- Four-Mile
It’s approximately a 1 hour drive from Yosemite Valley to Glacier Point. From Glacier Point, you can see Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, and the High Sierra peaks.
There are several hikes in this area I recommend.
Sentinel Dome is a 2.2 mile trail with 360-degree views of Half Dome, El Capitan, and the distant peaks of the High Sierra.
Taft Point is a 2.3 mile trail that’s often less crowded. You can combine Taft Point with Sentinel Dome trail for a combined 5.1 miles loop.
Four Mile Trail is a 9.7 mile round trip hike. It can also be done as a point-to-point trail for a total of 4.8 miles. In order to complete it one-way you’ll need to arrange for transportation between Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point.
Yosemite In Three Days – Tuolumne Meadows
Day 3 in Yosemite is for exploring Tioga Road and Tuolumne Meadows. Tioga Road connects the west and east entrances of Yosemite, and passes through Tuolumne Meadows.
- Olmstead Point
- Tenaya Lake
- Elizabeth Lake
- May Lake
- Dog Lake and Lembert Dome
Head north towards Tioga Road, a scenic drive that takes you through mountain passes and connects to the east side of the park.
Along the drive, stop at Olmstead Point for views of Half Dome, Tenaya Lake and Clouds Rest before continuing to Tenaya Lake. This is a great spot for a swim or to relax by the water.
Next, head farther east along Tioga Road towards Tuolumne Meadows. There are several hikes in this area I highly recommend.
Elizabeth Lake is a 7 mile hike up to and around the lake. If you’re looking for less mileage consider May Lake which is only 2.3 miles.
Dog Lake and Lembert Dome Loop is a 4.8 mile trail that’s relatively flat. The hike takes you around Dog Lake as well as the base of Lembert Dome.
Yosemite In Four Days – Wawona & Mariposa Grove
With a fourth day in Yosemite, head to Wawona and Mariposa Grove areas located on the southern end of the park.
- Big Trees Loop
- Grizzly Giant
- California Tunnel Tree
- Mariposa Grove Of Giant Sequoias To Wawona Vista Point
Mariposa Grove is located at the southern end of Yosemite National Park and it’s home to over 500 Giant Sequoia trees.
There are several hiking trails through this area. The lower trails (closest to the parking area) are easy trails that are well maintained and mostly wide, flat surfaces.
Big Trees Loop is a 0.3 mile loop trail that meanders through the base of massive Sequoia trees. It’s an easy, paved and wheelchair accessible path.
You can extend Big Trees Loop to Grizzly Giant Loop trail, which adds 1.8 miles to the route. This trail takes you past Bachelor And Three Graces sequoias as well as Grizzly Giant sequoia.
Grizzly Giant is the second largest tree in Yosemite National Park, and it’s estimated to be somewhere between 2,000 and 3,000 years old!
Just past Grizzly Giant is California Tunnel Tree. As the name indicates, this giant sequoia tree has a tunnel carved through the base of it. The tunnel was carved in 1895.
While we would never consider cutting a giant hole through a healthy tree today, during the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century there wasn’t much interest in National Parks or tourism to more remote areas.
These tunnels were a novelty which drew in crowds and helped gain interest in our National Parks.
Without the increased tourism and general populations awareness around conservation efforts I doubt our National Park system would be where it is today.
Grizzly Giant Loop is a great introduction to Mariposa Grove, but if you’d like to see it in more detail consider taking the Mariposa Grove Of Giant Sequoias Trail to Wawona Vista Point.
Mariposa Grove Of Giant Sequoias Trail is 6.7 miles roundtrip with a 1,200+ feet of elevation gain. It takes you to the highest point in the sequoia grove, where you can see views of the Wawona Valley below.
This is considered the upper grove. On this trail you’ll see The Faithful Couple, Clothespin Tree, Columbia Tree, Telescope Tree, Fallen Wawona Tunnel Tree, and Galen Clark Tree.
Yosemite National Park Itineraries
Depending on how many days in Yosemite you have, these are my recommended itineraries.
The best place to stay in Yosemite National Park is in Yosemite Valley because it’s centrally located and offers multiple lodging options (more below). I’m including drive time from Yosemite Valley for each of the proposed itineraries below.
One Day In Yosemite Itinerary
Arrive at Yosemite National Park the night before, or first thing on day 1. The entrance gates can get very backed up. If you arrive after 9am expect to wait up to an hour or more. In order to maximize your time, I recommend arriving for sunrise.
6:00am – Watch sunrise at Tunnel View (note: sunrise varies from 5:30am – 7:15am depending on the time of the year – check times here)
7:00am – Drive 5-minutes to Bridalveil Falls. Take the 0.8 mile hike to the base of the falls.
8:00am – Drive 10-minutes to Yosemite Village. Park your car here for the day and take the shuttle around Yosemite Valley to save time. Spend an hour exploring the visitors center and walking around the village.
9:00am – Walk to Yosemite Falls (10-minutes) and hike Lower Yosemite Fall trail.
10:00am – Cross the street to Cook’s Meadow. Stop by Yosemite Valley Chapel before returning to Yosemite Village.
11:00am – Take the Yosemite Shuttle to Stop #16: Happy Isles. Hike Mist Trail to Vernal Fall and Emerald Pool. Option to extend hike to Nevada Falls (add 2 hours).
1:00pm – Take the Valleywide Shuttle (green route) to Stop 4, or the East Valley Shuttle (purple route) to Stop 2. Have lunch at Village Grill or Degnan’s Deli.
3:00pm – Take the Valleywide Shuttle (green route) to Stop 17 for Mirror Lake.
5:00pm – Dinner at The Ahwahnee Lodge (reservations required).
7:00pm – Settle in to your accommodations.
Two Days In Yosemite Itinerary
On your second day, head towards Glacier Point for some incredible hiking trails.
7:00am – Breakfast at Degnan’s Kitchen in Yosemite Village.
7:30am – Drive one hour to Glacier Point.
8:30am – Hike Sentinel Dome and Taft Point Loop Trail.
11:00am – Take the short 0.5 mile trail up to Glacier Point Overlook. Have a picnic lunch while looking down into Yosemite Valley with views of Yosemite Falls and Clouds Rest.
12:00pm – Hike Four Mile Trail. This hike is 9.7 miles out and back and takes 6-7 hours to complete.
6:30pm – One hour drive back to Yosemite Valley.
7:30pm – Dinner at Base Camp Eatery, located at Yosemite Valley Lodge.
Three Days In Yosemite Itinerary
On your third day in Yosemite, drive the scenic Tioga Road to Tuolumne Meadows.
7:00am – Stop by Curry Village Coffee Corner for a quick breakfast and coffee.
7:30am – Drive 30-minutes to the start of Tioga Road. You will pass Tunnel View and Yosemite Valley Vista Point on your way.
8:00am – Begin scenic drive along Tioga Road. The drive is 1-hour long, but I recommend spending at least 2 hours so you can enjoy the scenic pull-offs. Around 45-minutes in you’ll reach Olmstead Point.
10:00am – Take a short detour off Tioga Road to Mary Lake Road. Hike 2.3 miles to Mary Lake.
11:30am – Arrive at Tenaya Lake. Spend some time enjoying the water, or walk along Tenaya Lake Trail. There are picnic areas on either end of the lake for lunch.
1:00pm – Shortly past Tenaya Lake you’ll reach Tuolumne Meadows. The trailhead for Dog Lake and Lembert Dome, and Elizabeth Lake are located here. Dog Lake and Lembert Dome Loop takes approximately 2 hours to hike.
3:00pm – Cross the street to pick up the Elizabeth Lake trailhead. The hike takes about 3 hours.
6:00pm – Begin your 1-hour drive back to Yosemite Valley.
7:00pm – Stop by Tunnel View for sunset views on your way back into the valley. (note: sunset varies from 4:40pm – 8:30pm depending on the time of the year – check times here)
7:30pm – Dinner at The Mountain Room, located at Yosemite Valley Lodge.
Four Days In Yosemite Itinerary
On the final day in Yosemite, head south towards Wawona and Mariposa Grove. The south end of Yosemite will position you closer to Sequoia National Park and Los Angeles, and is a good option if you’ll be continuing your road trip through California.
7:00am – Breakfast at Base Camp Eatery in Yosemite Village.
8:00am – Begin your 1-hour drive to Mariposa Grove.
9:00am – Hike Big Trees Loop to Grizzly Giant Loop Trail. This hike takes about an hour, but I recommend continuing to Mariposa Grove Of Giant Sequoias, which takes 3.5 hours total.
12:30pm – Drive 10-minutes to Wawona Dining Room for lunch.
2:00pm – Cross the road and take the 3.6 mile loop trail around Wawona Meadows for a leisurely afternoon hike.
3:30pm – Walk over to Yosemite History Center to see historical homes, covered bridges and live demonstrations about early life in Yosemite.
End your day by driving back north to Yosemite Valley, or south out of Yosemite National Park towards Sequoia and Kings Canyon.
Where To Stay
The best place to stay in Yosemite National Park is in Yosemite Valley. It’s centrally located, which makes it a convenient home base to start from.
Yosemite Valley is also where a majority of the infrastructure (restaurants, shops, cafe’s) are located, which gives you many more options for meals during your trip.
Hotels In Yosemite Valley
There are two hotels in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Valley Lodge and The Ahwahnee. Both are very walkable to everything in Yosemite Village.
Yosemite Valley Lodge is a great option for groups or families. They offer a variety of rooms, some with bunk beds or extra space. There are also several restaurants and coffee shops on-site.
The Ahwahnee is a luxurious historical lodge with guest rooms, suits and cottages available. Even if you do not stay at The Ahwahnee, I recommend walking around the grounds and lobby. I had breakfast at the Dining Room during my last visit. The views and food were both incredible.
Camping In Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley also has several campgrounds.
Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, and Camp 4 are all great options for camping in Yosemite Valley. I stayed at Upper Pines on my most recent trip and enjoyed it.
There are no showers at any of the campgrounds, but you can walk over to Curry Village to the public showerhouse. The water is hot and has great pressure, and it’s very clean.
Camping in Yosemite requires an advanced reservation. I recommend making your reservations online as early as possible because campsites fill up quickly.
Upper Pines, Lower Pines and North Pines campground reservations open 5 months in advance on the 15th of each month. For example, at 7pm PST on January 15 bookings open for reservation dates between May 15 and June 14.
Camp 4 sites open one week in advance on a rolling schedule. You can book reservations 7 days ahead of your arrival.
